Automatic sprinkler.



'UNITED smpisirmr OFFICE.

ALBERT J. LOEPBINGEB, OFPROYIDENCE, RHGDE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER COMPANY, 0H' NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIGN OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented July 23, 1918.

Application med my a, 1912. serial No. 707,467.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. Lonr- SLNGER, of the city and county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sprinklers; and I do hereby declare the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, to be a, full,` clear, and exact description thereof.

The present invention relates to that type of automatic sprinklers which embody in their construction a. rangible vessel hav ing expansible contents, and. which are caused to be opened by the expansive or exf plosive force of the contents of such frangible vessel induced by 'the action of heult.

The object of the present invention is to secure with certainty a violent` explosive action, which Will be certain under all conditions to shatter the frangible vessel and release the valve-holding means, and at the same time to secure greater uniformity or regularity in the` opening of the sprinklers at the predetermined temperature.

To that. end the invention consists primarily in employing as the contents of the frangible vessel a liquid containing gas in solution, whereby when said frangible ves sel is fractured by the expansion of its con-` tents under the action of heat, there will be a sudden escape of the gas previously held in solution, which will cause a violent explosion which Will be certain to completely shatter said frangible vessel. Wien ammonia gas is employed for the purpose it has been found that the explosion producedv is particularly violent, and for this reason 1t 1s preferred to make useof such ammonia gas as the gas to be held in solution -in the liquid vcontents of the frangible vessel. A ny y other gas, however, may be employed if desired.

In automatic sprinklers of this character it is desirable that the explosion shall take place at approximately the predetermined temperature, and it isimportant that the explosion when it does take place shall be of a violent character in\ order that the sprinkler shall with certainty and under all con- 'ditions be 'fully opened. Moreover, it is desirable, when a liquid havinlgr a gas in solution is employed as the contents of thc frangible vessel, that the fracture of the ves sel under the action of heat shall bc pro` duced by the expansion of the liquid and before any material amount of as has es capcd therefrom, which would ge likely to result in a premature explosion.

To meet these conditions it is important that there shall be a proper ratio of gas to liquid in the contents of the vessel. -If the quantity of gas be too small, the ex*- plosion will not be suliciently violent, while if, on the other hand, the quantity of gas be too great, a suilicient quantity of gas will be likely to escape from the liquid as the temperature rises to produce a pressure of gas Within the vessel which will serve to fracture the same and thus prodnccthe plosion prematurely and.v before the predetermined temperature has been reached.

The invention therefore further consists in employing as the contents of the frangi ble vessel a liquid containing a prescribed quantity of gas in solution, whereby the character of the explosion may be determined and the 'temperature at which the same Will take place may be rendered cer tain and uniform.

The invention may be employed either in a sprinkler in which the frangible vessel constitutes the means, or a part of the means, for holding the sprinkler closed, or 1n a sprinkler in which the frnngible vessel docs not constitute any part of the means for holding the valve closed.' oth constructions of sprinkler are shown in the drawings.

Referrino to the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudine section of an automatic sprinkler embodying the invention, in which the frangible vessel constitutes a part of the means for holding the sprinkler closed, and Fig. 2 is a corresponding longitudinal section of an automatic sprinkler in which the fran ible vessel does not constitute any art of tie means for holdin the sprm ler closed, and in which a meta lic plate is provided for collecting and conducting heat to the frangiole vessel and its contents, said metallic plate also constituting the deilector of the sprinkler.

The sprinkler shown embodies the body portion 1 havin' a frame 2 preferably screwed into the ody portion. A flexible diaphragm 3 having a central opening therein and properly secured in place, preferably by clamping the outer ed e thereof between the body portion 1 and t e frame 2, carries the seat 4 for the valve 5. This valve is preferably made of glass and the metal cap 6 rests thereon. i

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the fran 'ble vessel 7, whiclris preferably in the crm of a glass-bulbn stitutes a part of the means for holding,L l e valve closed and is arranged to bear minst the metal cap 6. The frangible vessel 7 is provided 1o with an elongated hollow neck 8. A hollow member 9, preferably of cylindrical form, is arranged to bear at one end against the frangible vessel 7, the elongated hollow neck 8 of the frangible vessel 7 being located within and rotected by said hollow member. Preferablly this hollow member, is made of glass, but it may be made of any other maf terial desired, and as in this construction it is not necessary for4 the release of the valve that said member should be shattered, said member may, if desired, be made of a material which is not readily frang'ible. Bearing against the other end of the hollow member 9 is a metal plate 10. When the valve-seat is formed upon or carried by a, iiexible diaphragm, as shown the metallic plate 10 may be constructed and arranged to directly engage the frame 2,

said metallic plate, the member 9, and the frangible vessel 7 together constituting a strut interposed between the valve and the frame to hold the valve to its seat.

In the construction shown, however, an adjusting screw 11 ,is employed the outer end' of the frame being provided with a screw-threaded boss 12 to `receive the same. As shown the deiector 13 1s secured to the adjusting screw 11 on the outside of the frame 2, and so that said adjusting screw may be turned by turning the deiector.

When the valve has been properly adjusted to its seat the adjusting screw may be held in. its adjusted position by a cross-pin 14 passed through said screw and the boss 12. Referring now to Fig. 2, the sprinkler therein shown is the same in its general con-v struction as the sprinkler shown in Fig. A1. In the construction shown in Eig. 2, however, the rangible vessel 7 doesl not constitute an part of the means for holding the valve c osed, and a second frangibleinember 15 is employed as the means, or as a part of the means, for holding the valve closed. This second frangible member 15 is referably made of glass and ofcylindrcal orm, and the irangible vessel7 is located within said member 15, and so that said frangible vessel and its hollow stem are inclosed and protected thereby. Y' 6o Bearing against the opposite end of said fran 'ble member 15 is a metallic plate 10i Y whic in this case is made in the form of detlector and. is secured to the inner end of the ad'ustng screw 11. The adjustment of the va ve to its seat is effected, asin the case o any materialA uantity ofthe construction shown in Fi 1, b luming the deiiector, and when t e va va has been properly adjusted to its seat the adjusting screw maybe held in its adjusted l position by a cross-pin 14. ,70

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 there is placed in the space between the rangible member 7 andathe frangible member 15 a quantity of heat-conductin material 16,. which may consist of metal fi ings, aphite, or other suitable material. It is re erred to completely fill this space with t e heat-con-v4 ducting material, as this facilitates tbe conduction of heat to the inner' frangible vessel, but if desired a lesser quantit of conducting material majf be employe and the space only partially filled therewith.'

Referrln now to the matter of preparing the frangile vessel or lass bulb for use as an element in the sprinlers shown and described, a convenient way for filling and l sealing such glass bulbs so that thesame will contain a liquid having gas in solution will now be described.

.A sufficient quantity of water is placed in the bulb so that when the same.1s heated up to a desired high temperature as for example 160 Fahrenheit, the bulb and ,its elongated neck will be completely filled with the water atsuoh high temperature. Thebulb and its contents are then cooled to normal temperature, as for example 70 Fab., which will cause a corresponding lowering of the level of the column of water'in the neck of the bulb. A mark is then made u on the exterior of the neck at the then leve of the column of Water therein. The water is then entirel emptied out, and the bulb then iilled with tie liquid having gas in solution and preferably with an ammonia solution up to the mark which has been made on the neck.

By this method of finan uw buia am ammonia solution is prepare outside (if the bulb and may be so prepared with a definite prescribed ratio of the gas to the liquid, and the ammonia solution so prepared is placed in the bulb at normal temperature.

A convenient way for sealing the bulb after the ammonia solutiii has been` placedV therein is this: The bulb is placed in a receptacle containin some good conducting or heat absorbing iquid,- such for example as water or mercury, and beat then applied to fuse and close the end of the neck and thus hermetically seal/the bulbI By, this methodof sealing the heat ap' lied will be taken u by the surrounding iqudin the r ptac e fast enough to prevent the escape of the as from the bulb during t e process of sea ing.

The ,operation of the s rinklers V`shown and described will `be re ilyunderstood. In both constructions when the sprinkler s subjected to the action of heat the eect w1 l'l be to Brat expand the contents ottimi; fe

ble vessel, and when as the result of such expansion, the v has become` completely filled therewith, as it will be when the redetermined temperature has been -reac ed, further expansion of the contents will serve to fracture the vessel, whereupon there will be a sudden escapev of# the gas previously held in solution, and a consequent sudden and violent explosion, which will completely shatter the frangible vessel. y

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the shattering of the frangible vessel itself will be suflicient to completely release the valve and open the sprinkler, the other parts being thrown out, and it is immaterial whether the hollow member J be shattered or not. In the construction shown in Fig.` 2 the explosion which serves to shatter the frangible vessel 7 will also serve to shatter the frangible member 15 and thus to release the valve and open the sprinkler.

By employing as the contents of the rangible vessel a 4liquid containing gas in solution, the character of such contents may be readily regulated and the quantity of gas contained in the solution, or the ratio of gas to liquid, can be made always uniform. By the employment of a prescribed quantity of gas and a prolper ratio of gas to liquid, the character of t e explosion may be regulated `and determined, and the temperature at such gas when said vessel is fractured by the expansion of its contents under the action of heat. l

2. An automatic sprinkler embodying a frangible vessel containin a liquid having a prescribed quantity o gas 1n solution which is not under pressure at normal temperature and adapted to effect the release of said sprinkler by the sudden escape of such gas when said vessel is fractured by the expansion of its contents under the action of ieat.

An automatic sprinkler embodying av frangible vessel containing ammonia gas in solution and adapted to effect the release of said sprinkler by the sudden escape of such gas when said vessel is fractured by the expension of its contents under the action o heat.

4. `An automatic -sprinkler cmbod ing a frangible vessel containing a liquid avlng a prescribed quantity of ammonia gas in solution and adapted to effect the release of said sprinkler by the sudden escape of such gas when said vessel is fractured by the expansion o f its contents under Athe action of heat.

5. An automatic sprinkler embodying a frangible vessel containing a gas in solution which is of such a character as to permit the sealing of said frangible vessel at normal temperature and is adapted to eiiect the release of said sprinkler by the sudden esca 'e of such gas when said vessel is fractured `y the eX ansion of its contents under the action o heat.

ALBERT J. LOEPSINGER.

Witnesses:

- W. H. THURSTON,

J H. THUns'roN.

eor 

